Mikel Arteta has explained the reasons behind leaving Martin Ødegaard and Gabriel Martinelli out of his starting lineup for Arsenal’s match against Brighton.
The Gunners traveled to the south coast looking to secure a win to strengthen their position in second place. Arsenal were already without Jurrien Timber, who is serving a suspension after accumulating his fifth yellow card of the season against Brentford.
While both Ødegaard and Martinelli featured in the 3-1 victory over Brentford, with Martinelli even scoring, they were named substitutes for this game. Arteta revealed that Ødegaard has been dealing with an illness, and Martinelli has had a minor issue during the week. Additionally, Kai Havertz was completely excluded from the squad.
Ødegaard had previously been sidelined for a significant period due to an ankle injury but made his return in November’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea. Martinelli, who has stayed fit throughout the season, finds himself on the bench for the third time in the league. He did come on as a second-half substitute for Ethan Nwaneri, who had scored Arsenal’s opening goal.
Bukayo Saka remains out due to a hamstring injury and could be sidelined for up to two months. As a result, Arteta chose to start Nwaneri, Gabriel Jesus, and Leandro Trossard in attack against Brighton.
Arsenal are on a three-match winning streak, having beaten Brentford, Ipswich Town, and Crystal Palace. This upcoming encounter is a rematch of their controversial 1-1 draw from five months ago, where Declan Rice was sent off for a second yellow card after delaying the restart. Despite leading 1-0 thanks to Kai Havertz’s goal, Arsenal ended up drawing after Joao Pedro’s equalizer from the penalty spot.
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